Selective orienting button positioning machine



July 8, 1941. o. .J. HUELSTER SELECTIVE ORIENTING BUTTON POSITIONING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 w NQ 5% m Q. J a Q 5% v GM. NSN

July 8, 1941. o. J. HUELSTER SELECTIVE ORIE NTING BUTTON POSITIONING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR July 8, 1941. o. .1. HUELSTER 2,248,087

SELECTIVE ORIENTING BUTTON POSITIONING MACHINE Filed May 17, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INENTR Patented July 8, 1941 SELECTIVE ORIENTING BUTTON POSI- v IIONING MACHINE Otto John Huelster, Waterbury; Conn.,fassignor to Scovill Manufacturing Company, Waterbury;

Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 17, 1940, Serial No. 335,715

19 Claims.

My present invention relates to a selective orienting mechanism on a button attaching machine. More particularly it relates to a mechanism for selectively orienting buttons or the like having a design on their top and means on the button bearing a definite relation to the design and adapted for engagement with the orienting means on the button attaching mechanism, and constitutes an improvement upon the orienting mechanism disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 272,562, filed May 9, 1939.

In the mechanism of my above-mentioned patent application, the buttons to be oriented are rotated upon their axis at an orienting station whereat a locating device is adapted to engage the engagement means on the button during the. rotation thereof to stop the rotation of the but-.

ton in a definite oriented. position, after which, means operate to transfer the button in its oriented position from the orienting station to a button attaching station. The locating means is of a definte form which always orients the button in a definite position with respect to the front of the machine,

usually such as to present the button with thedesign or indicia thereon in upright position when the garment or article to which the button is to be attached is presented to the setting station by being inserted either rearwardly from in front of the machine, or laterally from one side of the machine. Where it is desired to orient the button in any other position with respect to the front of the machine, the locating means must either be replaced by another locatingmeans or the specific elements on the locating means for engaging the engagement means on the button for stopping the rotation thereof has to be adjusted or reset. Of course, such replacement or resetting of the locating means is timeconsuming and where resorted to necessitates repeated handling of the garments for the button applying operations where, for example, as in the case of a pair of overalls, one setting is required for the bib buttons, another setting is required for the buttons on the right side of the pants portion, and still another setting is required for the buttons on the left side of the pants portion.

According to my present improvement, the replacing or resetting operations are obviated by providing locating means which are adapted to be selectively operated. as desired. Preferably I provide three separate locating means which'may be selectively operated. I have also providedmeans whereby the separate locating means may be either manually or automatically operated in any desired sequence or order, depending upon the numberand relation of buttons which are to be attached to the; garment. An operator is thus enabled to attach; both the bib buttonsand the buttons on, the opposite sides of the pants. portion of a pair of -overalls with but a single handling of the garment, and this can be accomplished in asimple .and .expeditious manner, thereby, providing for greater efliciency in -the button attaching operation. g

, The invention will, be better understood from the detailed description which ,follows, wherein I haveshown several preferred embodiments of my invention, and wherein-- I Figure -1 is a. front elevational sectional view of a buttonattaching machineyembodying my improvements, said figure being taken substantially along, the plane of the line Il of Fig. 5.

Fig. 2 is a composite top plan view of-the three locating-forks; means of which the buttons maybe selectively oriented. j ,7 a

Fig. 2a isa side elevation of the middle fork shownin Fig.2, part, thereofbeing broken away to better illustrate the button engagement means -.1; u 1:

Figs-3 and 4 show a fractional top planan'dan end eleyation, respectively,- of a form of selector meansdifierent from that shown in Fig. 1. r

- Fig. 5 is av topplan view of the portions-of the machine jshownin Fig. 1, with parts thereofbroken away. 1 m j Fig- 6 is a' section taken substantially alongthe plane of the line 6; B of Fig. 1. 1' i Fig. 7 is a perspective view ofthe slide bottom plate forming part of myinvention. v

Fig; 8 is aperspective view of the spring means. adapted; to seat; on, the side bottom plate.

Fig.9 is a perspectivegview of a ;spring slide forming a feature of my invention. v i

' Figs..10, 11,and3.1'2, are sections taken respectiv elyalongthe planes-of the line Iii-H], l l, and l2-|2 of'Fig. 5. v

. Fig; 13 is a fractional front elevation of the treadle control means for the machine.

Fig.- '14'is.alfractional elevationof a modified iormofs control means. 4

Figsql5-andl6 show respectively a top plan and aside elevation partly broken away of one type 'of' button adaptedfor orienting withthe Fig. 19 is a composite top plan of three locating forks, partly broken away, by means of which buttons of the type shown in Figs 1'7 and 18 may be oriented.

Fig. is a side elevation of one of the outer locating forks of Fig. 19.

Fig. 21-is a section taken along the broken line 2I-2l of the middle fork of Fig. 19.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l5 indicates the standard or head of a button attaching machine having attached thereto a main bracket l6 which carries a pair of undercut guides 11 and i8 which, with the main bracket,

provide a raceway l9 down which buttons-0r the orienting station, said cut-off device being herein shown as an oscillatable disc 2!. To oscillate the disc it is provided with a stud '23 to which is connected one end of a link N, the other end of which is connected to a rock lever 25. For operating the rock lever there is provided a bell-crank lever 26which is pivoted at 21, one end of said'lever bearing upon the free end of the rock lever 25 and the other end carrying an adjustable stud 26a through which movement is im arted to the bell-crank lever by an arm or lever 21c which is operated in synchronism with a pusher slide 28.

The orientingstation which is at the bottom of the raceway is defined by rotatable discs 29 and 30 having peripheral grooves therein which are normally spaced apart a distance slightly less than the diameter of the head of a button which is to be oriented so that the peripheries of said discs may contaot'the periphery of said button head to rotate the button about its axis. Preferably the disc 29 is positively driven and to accomplish this said disc is mounted on a stud 3 l which also has mounted thereon a mitergear 32 which is in mesh with a miter-gear 33 mounted on a stud which carries a pinion 34, which latter is in mesh with a gear sector 35 carried by one end of a lever 36 which gear sector is adapted to be oscillated by an operating cam (not shown).

For orienting a button upon reaching the orienting station, the button must be rotated about its axis and to provide at least three points of engagement not in a straight line for engaging the periphery of the button head, there is provided a third rotatable disc 31 which is carried at the forward end of the pusher slide 28. In this connection it may be stated that the buttons or the like which may be oriented with the present mechanism have engagement means thereon which bear a definite relation to the design on the top of the button. These engagement means in any one of a number, preferably three, predetermined positions at the orienting station. These positions may be described as that wherein the design is in upright position when viewed from the front of the machine, that wherein the design is disposed 90 to the left of the upright position, andthat wherein the design is disposed 90 to the right of the upright position.

To selectively orient the buttons in any one of the various predetermined positions, a separate locating means is provided for each position, and means are provided for selectively operating the locating means. As herein disclosed in Figs. 1, 2, 2a, and 5, the locating means which are designed for orienting buttons of the type shown in Figs. 15 and 16 are in the form of three members or locating forks, 39, 39 and 40, which are pivotally mounted in side by side relation within the pusher slide upon a pivot pin 4|, and each of said forks is normally biased in a counterclockwise direction by a coil spring 42 so that the button engaging end thereof is normally disposed out of button engaging relation. It will be noted from an inspection of Figs. 1, 2 and 2a that the locating forks, 38, 39 and 49, at their button engaging ends are of different configuration. The button engaging end of the fork 39 has a recess 39a, extending longitudinally of the fork and adapted to engage the tab I021) on the button shown in Figs. 15 and 16 so as to orient the button with the design or indicia thereon in upright position; the fork 38 has at its button engaging end a recess 38a, the side walls of which extend at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the fork and is adapted to orient a button with the design offset 90 from the upright in a counter-clockwise direction, and the fork at the button engaging end thereof is provided with a recess 40a, the walls of which are disposed at right angles to the longitudinal di' rection. of the fork and is adapted to orient a button with the design disposed 90 from the up right in a clockwise direction. Each of the forks 38, 39 and 49 adjacent their rear ends, is formed with a transverse notch-43, and inwardly of said notch with an upstanding ear 44, the functions for which will presently appear.

Also mounted within the pusher slide 28 and slidable longitudinally'thereof, are three selectorslides 45, mounted in side by side relation and in alignment with the locator forks 38, 39 and 49. Each of the selector slides has extending upwardly from its top face, approximately midway the length thereof, an car 46, the function for which will presently appear; On their bottom sides or bases, each of the selector. slides 45 is formed with a pair of'notches 41 and 48, and extending from the forward end of each of said slides is a spring finger 49 having at the free end thereof a detent 50. The selector slides 45 are supported upon a slide bottom plate 5! which is carried by the pusher slide and has on its upper face a recess 52 within which is mounted in side by side relation three slightly bowed spring clips 53, each having an upwardly directed detent 54 adapted to seat Within one of the notches 41 or '48 of each of the selector slides. The slide bottom plate 5! at its innermost end has a transverse notch 55. Normally, the selector slides occupy a position within the pusher slide such that the detent '54 of the spring clips engage iii-the notches 47; the detent '59 engages within the notch 55; the rearmost ends of the selector slides extend beyond the rear end of the pusher-slide; and the ears 46 extend up- For selectively controlling the operation'of the locating forks through the selective control of the selector slides, a selector control mechanismj is mounted rearwardly of the selector slides, or is viewed in Figs. 1 and to theright thereof. This selector control mechanism-consists of a shaft 51 upon which is mounted three fingers-58, 59 and 60, disposed in direct alignmentwitnthe' selector slides, the fingers being diametrically 'disposed and offset 60 from one another and each one when in its horizontal position is adapted to move the selector slide 45 which is in direct alignment therewith inwardly within the pusher slide as the latter moves rearwardly toward the selector control in the operation of themachineQ The selector shaft 51 is'supp'orted in abracket BI and is operated through a "ratchetdevice which is mounted on the shaftf This ratchet dc-f vice consists of a ratchet wheel'53 fixedly mounted on the shaft, said ratchet wheel having a hub which loosely carries thehubof a bracket 62 on which is pivotally mounted a ratchet pawl 64 adapted for engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel, said pawl being normally urged into such engagement bya spring-pressed pin 65 carried by the bracket, and engaging an ear 66 on the pawl. The bracket 62 also ha s a stop pin 61 for limiting the throw of the'pawl. 1 For indexing the ratchet device there is pivotally connected to the bracket tlabouta pin 68 one end of a link 69, the oppositeendof which .is connected to a bell-crankleverflll which is pivotally supported at 1| andthr ugh its action upon pawl 64 is adapted to move the ratchet wheel an angular distance'of ,60" every time the bell-crank lever is tilted about its .pivot .'II, To limit the movement of the selector shaft 51 by the ratchet device, there is fixedly mountedon the shaft a brake disc l2 having a plurality of radial grooves 13 therein disposed 60 apart which are adapted for cooperation with a springpressed detent l3 carriedin 'jone arm of, the bracket 6|. For providinga visual indication of the position to which a buttonis to beset, the selector shaft 51 has fixedly mounted thereon an indicator 14 having indiciathereon to designate the positions right, left, and front. Where it is desired to manually or arbitrarily set the selector mechanism, there is. mounted .at the front end of the shaft 51 a knurled thumb wheel The ratchet pawl 64 is also provided with a handle 6 so that by swingingthe pawl in a counter-clockwise direction against the .tension of the pawl set pin 65, the ratchet member can be rendered inactive so that the selector shaft will not rotate regardless of thejmotion of the bell-crank lever. I

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have shown an alternative form of finger arrangement on the shaft 51. These fingers 16, l1, 18 are disposed to form a three-leaf clover and the engaging surface of each finger has an angular length sufficient to engage its corresponding selector slide 45 twice in succession as the machine is operated.

It will be apparent that either manual or-automatic means may be employed for operating the selector mechanism and these means may be tied in with the press operation/that is, every time the clutch is tripped the selector mechanism will be advanced. Y v

In Fig. 13 I have shown a double pedal arrangement for operating the press and the sele'ctor mechanism. By referring to said figure it will be seen that there are two pedals l9 and which are cast integral with hubs 8i and 82,

respectively, the hub 8| being fixedly and the hub 82 being rotatably mounted upon a bushing 83 upon a shaft 84 which is supported between the stationary legs 85 of the machine. Als0 pinned to the bushing 83 is a hub 86 which carries a link 81 which is connected to one end of the bell-crank 10. The hub 82 has a 1ink'88 connected thereto, which controls the tripping of a single revolution clutch (not shown) for controlling the operation of the button attaching machine. The pedal 80 has an arm 89 extending laterally therefrom and projecting under the pedal 19 so that when the pedal 19 is depressed by the foot of an operator, it also depresses the pedal 80, whereas when the-pedal 80 is depressed, it does not depress the pedal 19.

In Fig. 14 the pedal control means for theselector mechanism has been omitted and in lieu thereof there is provided a knee operating mechanism. This consists of an angular brack et 90 secured to thelower end of the bell-crank lever 10 and carried by said bracket 90 is a' pad 9| which, when laterally struck by the knee of an operator, trips the bell-crank lever It! to operate the selector mechanism. In this em bodiment of the invention there is provided but two at the bib, and two at the left side of a pair of overallsso that the design or indicia on the button tops will all be set right side up and that it is desired to accomplish this by the mecha -.v

nism shown in Figs. 1 and 5, that isto sa with the star shaped selector consisting of the arms.

58, 59'and 60. To accomplish this theoperator, starting with pedal 80, will have to alternate each {pedal operationbetween the two pedals 1.9 and 80', for in so doing every time either pedal is depressed a button will be fed and oriented, whereas only when the pedal 19 is depressed will the selector mechanism be reset. it is desired to set morethan two buttons in any onerelationship, the operator needs only to continueto depress the foot-pedal 8|] until the desired number of buttons are set, after which a depression of foot-pedal 19 brings the next successive. selector intooperation to change therelationship of the button. Where the machine is equipped with the'clover shaped selector rod, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the operator only has to continuously press upon the pedal 19,unless he wishes to change the sequence of orienting from a seriesof two buttons to a larger'number; in which caseafter depressing pedal 'lfitwice he depresses pedal 80 successively until the desired number of buttons have been set-in that posie ti-on, after which a depression of pedal 19 :willresult in a button being set'in the next succes s'ive relationship In'this connection it will be remembered that the length of the cam surfaces on the arms 16, T! and 18 are such as to engage the same selector slide for two successive 60 movements of the selector shaft.

With thearrangement disclosed in Fig. 14, it will be appreciated that operation .of the pedal 80a merely functions to trip the clutch and a supplemental operation of the knee against the Of course if padz, 9| is necessary to advance the selector; mechanism 58, 59, 60,, while two operations-of;

the knee .pad 9|, are necessary to advancethe clover type selector 16,111, I8. Accordingly, any

desired. arrangement for the' setting of buttons can be accomplished by thevproper coordination OfithE .foot' and knee in the operation of the machine-shown in Fig. 14. Of course, any desired arrangement for thesetting of buttons can alsog'be accomplished by proper sequential operationofithe. pedals l9 and 80 where'the star wheel selector. is used, as previously explained.

In: regard to the coordinated functioning of the machine, it may be stated that at the beginning of the operation the pusher slide is in an intermediate position as viewed in Figs. 1 and 5, with each of the selector slides 45 extending beyond the end of the pusher slide and also that each of the1ocating forks have their button engaging ends depressed out of button engagingposition by the:coil springs 42 and each of the detents 50 being in the recess 55 in the bottom plate 5l.-

As a button is released down the raceway to the settingstation, let it be assumed that the selector finger 58 is in horizontal position and the locating fork is in alignment therewith."- The treadle Bilor 80a is depressed, thus-connecting the machine to its source of powerthrough the single revolution clutch and the pusher slide'i28' first moves rearward (to the right in Figs, -1 and 5) and this rearward movement'of the pusher slide will cause movement inwardly Within the pusher slide of that selector which is in line with finger 58 and locatingfork 40 upon said selector slide engaging the finger 58, and'as said selector slide is moved inwardly the notch l! therein rides over the detent 54 of the spring clip and the notch engages said detent. Simultaneously with this movement the detent is displaced from the notch and engages the notch 43in therear end of the locating fork 40 thereby applying spring tension to said end to-move thelocating ,fork in a clockwise direction about its pivot. 4i against the force of thebiasing spring 42, thereby positioning the button engaging end M'aof. the fork to engage the tab of the button which is to be oriented as the button is rotatedabout its axis at the orienting station.- Rotation of thebutton at the orienting station is effected v bythediscs 29, 30 and 31,,the latter being on the; pusher v slide and comes into operation when the pusher slide in its movement to the left reaches the orienting station, the rotation being.

efiected through the operation of the gear sector 35,1the pinion 34 and the miter-gears 33 and 32.

After the button has been oriented, the button is} transferred to the setting station 20, the button v receiving portion of which is located slightly removed from the orienting station and is adaptedv to receive ,a button iii the-same relationship to the parts of the mechanism that the oriented button occupies at the orienting station except for the changein position of the button due to shifting it, from the orienting to the setting sta-. tion. However, in order to move the button from the orienting station to the. setting station without disturbing the spacial relationship set forth,

' the friction disc '30 is m'adeyieldable. To accomplish this the disc 30, which isanidler is carriedby a bracket 92 which is biased inwardly within a socket by a clip 93 whichis urged into bearing engagement with the outer end of. the bracket 92 by a spring 94, mounted on a threaded stud 95, which carries an adjusting screw 96.

Just prior to the time that the pusher reaches cally receive andsupport a button for rotation aeaaear:

the' setting station, the ear. 46 on the selector slide strikes an abutment or shoulder 91 on a bracket-98 mounted on-an immovable part of the machine, whereupon the selector slide is displaced from its operative position and moved rearwardlyto-its normal position within the pusherslide, which action withdraws the detent,

50 from the notch 43 in the locating fork and carries it into the notch-55 in the element 5| thereby permitting the fork to swing back to its lower or-inactive-position under the influence of the springr iZ -T'he button having been positioned-i-n :orienteclrelation at the setting station and the locating ,fork freed therefrom, the pusher slideis retracted and the setting plunger is depressed to attach the button to the garment. The number. of. buttons to be successively oriented ineachpositionand-the order in which the buttons are ,to-be oriented and attached, will depend upon-,theeiorm; of the selector employed and the treadle control bythe operator. I

- Where abuttonorfastener, such as shownin 1175 and 18, islto be oriented, the button engagingends of the locating forks I09, lill and 102 willbe "formedv with-upstanding lugs I 00a or tillafor; engagingwithin the'recess or cutout portion Hl Z f the shell on the button or fas-- nor. 1 It will also. be apparent that the machine is adapted, for orienting. buttons. for positioning upona garment in any desired relation without.

resorting 'to anyitime-consuming replacing or resetting operations.-

, ,Itw'ill also .beappreciat'ed that although I have shown and described 'certainpreferred embodiments of my invention,,that the'specific mechanisms disclosed are susceptible of modification and change within the range-of engineering skill. Hence, I donot Wish to be limited to the details of 'constructionherein.disclosed except as limited-by the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is: I

1'.,In a button positioning.mechanisrn for buttons orthelike having engagement means thereon in 'comb ination,' means adapted to periodicalljy receiveand support a button for rotation about its axis, means for rotating the button about its axis while in said receiving means, lo-v cating means adapted to engage the engagement meanson thelfbutton during rotation thereof to stop the rotation of jthebutton in any one of a nu 'nber of predetermined oriented positions,

and means for 'selectively controlling the locating nieansto determine the orienting of the button. V

2 A button positioning mechanism according to cla'im'l, having rneansfor operating themeans for selectively controlling the locating means in a predetermined sequence.

on, in combination, means adapted to periodi- 3. In a button positioning mechanism for buttons or the like having engagement means thereabout its axis, means for rotating the button about its axis while in said receiving means, a plurality of locating means each adapted to engage the engagement means on the button during rotation thereof to stop the rotation of the button in a different predetermined oriented position, and means for selectively controlling any one of the locating means.

4. In a button positioning mechanism for buttons or the like having engagement means thereon, in combination, an orienting station adapted to periodically receive and support a button for rotation about its axis, means for rotating the button about its axis at said station, a plurality of locating means, each adapted to engage the engagement means on the button during rotation thereof to stop the rotation of the button in a predetermined oriented position at said station, and means for selectively operating any one of the locating means.

5. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 3, wherein there are three locating means for stopping rotation of the button in any one of three predetermined positions.

6. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 3 having means for operating the means for selectively operating the locating means in a predetermined sequence,

7. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 3, wherein there are three locating means, and wherein the means for selectively controlling the locating means are of a character to sequentially set the three locating means so that each will orient two successive buttons in the same predetermined position.

8. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 3 wherein the means for selectively operating any one of the locating means comprises a plurality of slidable members having parts for interengagement with the locatin'g means.

9. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 3 wherein the means for selectively operating any one of the locating means comprises a plurality of slidable members having parts for interengagement with the locating means, and manually operable means for causing such interengagement.

10. In a button positioning mechanism for buttons or the like having engagement means thereon, in combination, an orienting station adapted to periodically receive and support a button for rotation about its axis, means at said station comprising a plurality of rotatable elements so positioned as to confine and frictionally engage the button and rotate it about its axis, a movable member having a plurality of locating means each adapted to engage the engagement means on the button during rotation thereof to stop rotation of the button in a. predetermined oriented position at said station, and a piuraliy of means each of which is adapted for selectively operating one of the locating means.

11. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the locating means and the selector means are movable relatively to and with the movable member.

12. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the locating means are pivotally mounted on the movable member, and the selector means are slidable relatively to and with the movable member.

13. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the locating means are pivotally mounted on the movable member, the selector means are slidable relatively to and with the movable member, and wherein the locating means and the selector means have parts adapted for interengagement.

14. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the locating means are pivotally mounted on the movable member and normally biased out of button engaging position, the selector means are slidable relatively to and with the movable member and adapted to engage one of the locating means to bias it into button engaging position.

15. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the locating means and the selector means are movable relatively to and with the movable member, and means for moving the selector means relatively to the movable member.

16. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the locating means and the selector means are movable relativel to and with the movable member, and manually controlled means for moving the selector means relatively to the movable member.

17. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the locating means and the selector means are movable relatively to and with the movable member, and automatically operable means for moving the various selector means relatively to the movable member in a predetermined sequence.

18. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 10, wherein the locating means and the selector means are movable relatively to and with the movable member, and means for moving the selector means relatively to the movable member, said last-mentioned means being automatically sequentially operable by the operation of the machine to which the button positioning mechanism is applied.

19. A button positioning mechanism according to claim 10, having means for disengaging the locating means from a button after it has been oriented.

OTTO J. HUELSTER. 

